Subterranea
Transcription
Subterranea
Subterranea April, 2013 An All in One* heating, ventilation and air-conditioning infrastructure A Visionary Infrastructure Solution for enclosed community living A worst case environmental scenario In the future, we may be constrained to This vignette is set in 2111 after the worst-case global warming scenario has come to pass; average global temperatures have risen by 13 °C and sea levels have risen by eleven metres. The equatorial regions of the globe are uninhabitable. The more temperate regions, reduced in area due to sea-level rise, are much hotter than at present, and suffer highly unpredictable swings in weather patterns; populations have hence migrated towards the remaining habitable land. The only option for the majority is to live underground, underwater or upon the surface of the water in enclosed capsules – although some communities could cling on to the surface in currently uninhabited areas such as Greenland, Siberia and Antarctica. the main technological issue for these underground and underwater communities will be lack of solar energy and natural light. Vignette Vision This study builds on multiple subterranean and sub-aquatic systems. Some are real-world operational examples of underground living, whereas others are visionary plans. The vignette is set in a context where life outside sheltered community accommodation, is difficult. It envisions a modular (and so extensible) utility infrastructure which is multi-functional, secure and environmentally friendly. The HVAC plus (which includes water and electricity) delivers sufficient thermally comfortable air, power and water for basic needs to modular dwellings within the community. Liz Varga Cranfield University, Cranfield, Bedfordshire, MK43 0AL E: [email protected] living in fully decentralised infrastructure designed for subterranean or subaquatic habitations A utility distribution system inspired by existing methods of heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems HVAC systems have developed since the industrial revolution into a world-wide industry providing thermal comfort and indoor air quality for small to large enclosed areas. HVAC systems are integrated with the environment for the input of fresh air and the expulsion of waste. Such systems are modular, extendable resource and waste carriers with chemical filters to maintain healthy enclosed living. Low voltage electricity would be transmitted continuously over these systems, and then picked up ‘wirelessly’ and consumed by devices which transform the electricity into lighting or power. Water would be condensed for drinking and essential uses only; substitutes for other uses of water such as laundry and personal hygiene would be required. Reservoirs of rain water or desalinated sea water could be created for community use. The All-in-One vision is to extend these HVAC systems to include water and electricity transmission to create sustainable multi-purpose utility systems. *This study is a part of the project entitled “All in One: Feasibility Analysis of Supplying All Services through One Utility Product”. It was supported by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) under the reference number EP/J005592/1. For details : [email protected] Thermal comfort + power and water Within each community, HVAC + would be provided Sizing of communities centrally by a centrally managed system of air, power and water. HVAC systems have existed for years. In A key issue is the sizing of communities, cities and Colorado Springs the Cheyenne Mountain Complex nations, and the distribution of activities between can sustain a community even from a nuclear attack. these various scalar levels. This is a question of resource availability, technology and economics. The movement of citizens would be severely constrained, with little movement beyond their home community, so the need for virtual communication will become paramount – as will the indoor cultivation of food supplies, building upon technologies such as underground rice production. Challenges Synergy with external resources Transportation of breathable air from which power and potable water can be extracted is a major scientific In this vignette, communities would be nearly selfsufficient. Generation of electricity would be supported by wind farms or photo-voltaic cells on exposed surfaces. Rain-water or desalinated sea water would be processed and circulated in the HVAC + system. Modular construction and technological challenge. Security, resilience and maintenance become critical issues, as resistance to earth and water movement. would Natural sunlight would be 'piped' throughout the community to ensure human health, supplemented as necessary by wireless-powered broad-spectrum florescent lighting. The design of communities would depend on a This is already considered in the proposed earthmodular construction to permit the extension of the scraper envisioned in Mexico City. HVAC + system. The green float community, a visionary floating community, is designed like this. http://www.archdaily.com/156357/the-earthscraper-bnkr-arquitectura Society Floating communities could join together into cities and nations for trade and socialisation. The underground and underwater pathways will be used by battery electric vehicles for the transfer of goods and services wherever practicable, so as to minimise the need for surface transport. Modular integrative design of community level secure utility distribution systems such as HVAC + require massive investment in new technologies and a consensus in society of their need and an understanding of their implications for future lifestyles.